Article identification process and articles for practice thereof

• US 4,387,112 A
• Filed: 10/23/1980
• Issued: 06/07/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rodney J. Blach
• Original Assignee: Rodney J. Blach
• Inventors: Blach, Rodney J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lusignan, Michael R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bell, Janyce A.
• Application Number:
  US06/199,964
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 427/7, 427/157, 427/56.1, 427/54.1, 283/9 R
• US Class Current: 427/7
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/21 for multiple purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/23 Identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/378 Special inks
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/382 absorbing or reflecting infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/387 absorbing or reflecting ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/48 Elements suited for physical verification, e.g. by irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/00 Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40; Seals; Postage or like stamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/901 Concealed data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/13 Tracers or tags

Abstract

Ordinary articles involved in transactions that require ascertaining authenticity of the article, such as wearing apparel, electronic parts, identification cards, or credit cards, may be identified as genuine through use of stimulatable inorganic phosphor compositions. The inorganic phosphors are applied to the article to be identified. The phosphors are excited to store energy therein, such as excitation by application of light as in a radiative photon process, or by application of thermal or electric fields as in a conductive process. The storage may be for however short or long a period. The result of storage is a later emission of real--time luminescence, sometimes called fluorescence, or of time-lag luminescence, sometimes called phosphorescence, or of no luminescence, where energy is either totally stored, converted to non-visible emissions such as infrared radiation, or internal conversion processed. The phosphors with stored energy as a result of this excitation are then stimulated during or after the excitation. The stimulation may be by use of light as in a radiative photon process, or by use of thermal or electric fields as in a conductive process. A change in emission of radiant energy from the phosphor as a result of the stimulation, such as change of luminescence of the phosphor, is then observed to verify the presence of the inorganic phosphor in the article. Such inorganic phosphors provide positive identification of the article because their behavior under the process steps above cannot be mimicked with organic compounds, and preparation of such inorganic phosphors, or phosphors capable of mimicking individual observed phenomena of the bona fide phosphor, especially preferred intermediate converter mixed phosphor type, is beyond the capability of counterfeiters. The behavior of such phosphors in response to the above process steps is also easily recognizable visually without use of complex analytical apparatus, thus providing an ideal forensic test.

Claims

1. A process for identifying an article, which comprises:

(a) applying a finely divided inorganic phosphor to said article,

(b) exciting said phosphor to store energy therein by means of light free of infrared wavelengths,

(c) observing any spontaneous decay phosphorescence of said phosphor in a darkened ambient,

(d) stimulating said phosphor with infrared radiation, said stimulating producing an observable change in release of the previously stored energy,

(e) observing the change in release of the previously stored energy as a change in luminescence of said phosphor as a result of said infrared stimulation.

2. The process of claim 1 additionally comprising the steps of:

(f) stimulating said phosphor thermally, and (

(g) observing a change in luminescence of said phosphor as a result of said thermal stimulation.

3. The process of claim 2 additionally comprising the steps of:

(h) stimulating said phosphor with an electric field, and

(i) observing a change in luminescene of said phosphor as a result of said electric field stimulation.

4. The process of claim 1 additionally comprising the steps of:

(f) stimulating said phosphor with an electric field, and

(g) observing a change in luminescence of said phosphor as a result of said electric field stimulation.

5. The process of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 in which said phosphor is a mixed phosphor.

6. The process of claim 5 in which said mixed phosphor is an intermediate converter.

7. The process of claim 6 in which the change in stimulated luminescence of said phosphor is a relatively time independent substantial increase in emission of light by said phosphor.

8. The process of claim 5 in which component ratios in said mixed phosphor are varied to achieve luminescence spectra shifts to different wavelengths to increase the number of usable phosphors exhibiting unique behavior for identification purposes.

24. The process of claims 1 or 9 in which said phosphor is applied in an identifying code pattern which identifies a channel of distribution for the article.

9. A process for identifying an article, which comprises:

(a) applying a stimulatable inorganic phosphor to said article,

(b) exciting said phosphor to store energy therein,

(c) stimulating said phosphor in a manner different than said exciting, said stimulating producing an observable change in emission as radiant energy of the energy stored by said exciting, and

(d) observing the change in emission of radiant energy from said phosphor as a result of said stimulating to verify the presence of the inorganic phosphor in said article.

10. The process of claim 9 in which the change in emission as a result of said stimulating is luminescence of said phosphor.

11. The process of claim 9 in which said phosphor is excited with ultraviolet or visible light, stimulated with visible or infrared light, thermal conduction, or an electric field, and the change in emission of said phosphor as a result of said stimulating is luminescence of visible light.

12. The process of claim 9 in which said phosphor is stimulated with radiant energy and additionally comprising the steps of:

(f) stimulating said phosphor thermally, and

(g) observing a change in luminescence of said phosphor as a result of said thermal stimulation.

13. The process of claim 12 additionally comprising the steps of:

(h) stimulating said phosphor with an electric field, and

(i) observing a change in luminescence of said phosphor as a result of said electric field stimulation.

14. The process of claim 9 in which said phosphor is stimulated with radiant energy and additionally comprising the steps of:

(f) stimulating said phosphor with an electric field, and

(g) observing a change in luminescence of said phosphor as a result of said electric field stimulation.

15. The process of claims 9, 12, 13 or 14 in which said phosphor is a mixed phosphor.

16. The process of claim 15 in which said mixed phosphor is an intermediate converter.

17. The process of claim 16 in which the change in stimulated luminescence of said phosphor is a relatively time independent substantial increase in emission of light by said phosphor.

18. The process of claim 15 in which component ratios in said mixed phosphor are varied to achieve luminescence spectra shifts to different wavelengths to increase the number of usable phosphors exhibiting unique behavior for identification purposes.

19. An article of verifiable authenticity, comprising said article and a stimulatable inorganic phosphor applied to said article, excitation in a first manner and subsequent stimulation in a second manner different than the first manner of said phosphor providing a unique indicator of the presence of said phosphor.

20. The article of claim 19 in which said phosphor is a mixed phosphor.

21. The article of claim 20 in which said mixed phosphor is an intermediate converter.

22. The article of claim 21 in which the change in stimulated luminescence of said phosphor is a relatively time independent substantial increase in emission of light by said phosphor.

23. The article of claim 19 in which component ratios in said mixed phosphor are varied to achieve luminescence spectra shifts to different wavelengths to increase the number of usable phosphors exhibiting unique behavior for identification purposes.

25. The article of claim 19 in which said phosphor is applied in an identifying code pattern which identifies a channel of distribution for the article.